Anna-Monika prize presented to Professor Carmine Pariante

Professor Carmine Pariante from the Department of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) has been awarded the Anna-Monika prize by the Anna-Monika Foundation.
 
The prize, which rewards clinical scientists who have made outstanding contributions to our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of depression, was presented at the 28th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress last week.
 
Professor Pariante said: 'The Anna-Monika Prize is undoubtedly the most prestigious award for research in depression and I am honoured to have been selected this year. The aim of the award is to encourage the development of novel treatment options in depression, and I am truly optimistic that my work on depression and inflammation will impact the future care of patients. I am particularly delighted to share this award with my friend and colleague, Professor Ned Kalin, from the University of Wisconsin Department of Psychiatry.'
 
Carmine Pariante has worked extensively in understanding the relationship between stress and inflammation in depression, both on a fundamental science basis and in clinical studies. His research explores the connection between hormone abnormalities in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), such as over-secretion of cortisol, and the effect on the immune system in terms of increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers. Antidepressants are not effective in all patients with MDD and evidence provided by his group seems to indicate that high levels of inflammation correlate negatively with antidepressant efficacy. Although these findings are preliminary they suggest that for those that are treatment-resistant, the patient could be examined for their immune function and may be a candidate for other strategies for treatment-resistant depression, which includes anti-inflammatories.
 
Nominations for the prize are reviewed by a panel of expert judges and Professor Pariante and Professor Kalin will receive an award of €12,500 each. They both gave a talk at the ECNP Congress about their work after being presented with the prize. Since its inception in 1965, the Anna-Monika-Foundation has achieved world-wide recognition within the scientific community dedicated to research in major depression. The major goal of the Foundation is to motivate researchers to participate in its bi-annual prize competition. To date, many outstanding researchers with significant contributions to scientific knowledge about depression have been identified and honoured.

Notes to the editors

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